Michigan summer job market for ages 16-19 competitive

The Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget on Monday released a summer forecast for the employment status of teens in Michigan.

This summer, the state says about 242,800 teens are projected to be in the Michigan workforce, with about 180,900 expected to be employed. The projected summer unemployment rate for teens is 25.5 percent, down 1.2 percentage points from last summer.

Starting in May, the state says the number of teens entering the labor force typically increases sharply and reaches a peak in July. Many teens are entering the labor market for the first time and face competition from people with previous work experience.